Knock at my Door

Nayru · 05-05-2011, 12:55 PM

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Doodooboobop. <333 465 Dated May 2

Her rest in Dahlia de Mai, however short it had been, refreshed the young girl. Sleeping in the other pack lands, or at times right outside of them, had not been unpleasant, but nothing compared with her own home. It was not just the warm, moist greenhouse that clung so strongly to her heart, nor was it the silent and stately church she had inherited recently. Both residence were her's, but they were not what had made the little lady so homesick on her long trek from one pack to another. It was the images of Dahlia de Mai, the high cliffs of Nereid, the harbor now dock-less, the home of Wolfville, the bubbling springs of Oberon… such varied lands. These images danced in Nayru's mind, keeping her from fretting over the task before her, as she moved at a steady pace south, the sun climbing higher and higher in the sky until it reached it’s peak.

When she did arrive at the borders she, as so many times before, set the large brown sack down. It had not been filled so fully this time, there were less packs to visit on round two, but still the weight at times strained her delicate shoulders. Always she was grateful for the chance to rest. And always she was grateful when she could throw back her head and let out the long howl, intended for the leaders or whoever greeted in their stead, for that released any tension she felt about such visits. All the ones before had gone well enough, there was truly only one clan she had to worry over and that one would not come for still another day or so. Yet much like Cour des Miracles, Phoenix Valley was a mystery to the young alpha.

As the young girl, a serene and unreadable face prepared, waited for a response she mentally mapped out all she knew of them. Ralla had come to them, asking for help, and Nayru could offer little, but had happily offered what she could. Had word of that visit reached Phoenix Valley's higher ups? Nayru hope it had, for that would perhaps make this go all the more smoothly. And aside from their unique smell, which the inquisitive girl had taken the time to learn as a child, she was drawing blanks. Blanks that would hopefully be filled in, because even if her tokens of good will were throw aside, which she did not expect but one could never be certain, she did not intended to learn these lands without some gain. Knowledge was always a easy gain, if nothing else, and this thought comforted her as she waited, weight shifting ever so slight from foot to foot, but only when one foot grew too weary and never unnecessarily.

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Jefferson Soul · 05-11-2011, 12:57 PM

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Sorry, thought I replied to this already! DERP DERP

At the time of the call, no activity possessed his time. Jefferson sat in silence at the edge of the northern Mirror Lake, gazing into his one-eyed monster of a reflection, a numbness about him. Geneva's disappearance, much against his wishes, had slowly begun sinking in after weeks' forced distractions. He hated to think of it, to believe it as true, and he found himself lapping the pack borders not in search of visitors, but in the hopes she would be waiting there, smiling her snide smile, laughing at his dedicated foolishness. He would have gladly taken it, if only she showed her face once more, sick or not.

Tattered ear twitched at the sound, a call announcing an arrival in a tone he did not recognize. It struck him as charismatic and to-the-point, unrestrained in the Valley sky. Pushing himself to his feet, the scarred man listened in silence to its reverberations, a lovely sound for a lovely day, but a call to business no less. He stared on his way, no rush in his stride, and found himself pleased but indifferent when he found the figure who summoned him to resemble much of what he expected.

"These are Phoenix Valley borders," he said, coming to a stop before her, empty sleeve frolicking pleasantly in the breeze. "I'm Jefferson, the leader. You got business here?"

Nayru · 05-11-2011, 06:30 PM

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<333 307

The being who greeted her was very unlike any of the others that had come before him. Yet Nayru's face remained stoically pleasant as she surveyed the man. One eye, one arm… Nayru was almost surprised to count two ears atop his head and two feet on his legs. His face was weathered and grizzled, and certainly his age surpassed many of the fresher faces with which she was acquainted. He seemed gruffer than most, even perhaps more rough around the edges that Ghita had been upon meeting her on the Crimson Dream borders. Yet for all this Nayru stood as tall as her short frame allowed.

"Greetings Jefferson. I am Nayru, of Dahlia de Mai." She paused a beat, surely one as experienced as he could smell the telltale signs of the flower pack upon her pelt, but it was still polite to be through in one's introductions. "I have recently been appointed leader there, and thought that I should speak with the leaders of the neighboring packs. As it is, I have yet to speak with anyone from Phoenix Valley, would you be so kind as to grant such a request?" The two toned girl did not mention Conor, for if she a man cared about his northern neighbors he probably knew enough to ask questions, which Nayru would not mind.

There were always questions, but Nayru only liked to offer explanations for those which she knew were certain. If some knowledge could be omitted for simplicities sake or for time, she often would. As it was, the inquisitive woman had questions of her own, knowing almost nothing of Phoenix Valley in comparison to the previous packs she had visited. Yet they would be answered in time, some simply by coming here, and others by asking out right. When and if the timing was right.

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Jefferson Soul · 05-13-2011, 01:03 PM

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As she spoke, the cyclops analyzed her as she did he; a delicate little flower, clearly gifted with a beauty Jefferson had never and would never possess. She called herself leader, and though more than one question browsed his mind, he questioned first her age and experience, but knew no danger had come about Dahlia de Mai since Haku's downfall. Last he'd know, his nephew Conor had been ruling there; he and Haku's boy had never met, though the cyclops had visited Dahlian borders more than once in hopes of finally seeing his crooked half-brother's son and successor. At Haku's death, Jefferson had seen a peace in Dahlia de Mai lost since Cercelee's rule and likewise disappearance. Conor must have been a just successor, but the cyclops could only wonder where he had gone so soon.

If nothing else, Jefferson found himself grateful that finally, a Dahlian leader had come to see their neighboring Valley for themselves. It was at that Jefferson found himself with an early liking towards this delicate Nayru before him.

"Sure, why not," the scarred man replied, adding a nonchalant shrug and evidencing none of the impressions she or previous Dahlian leaders had made. "Last I knew, Conor was the one leading Dahlia. His idiot father was my half-brother, but I never got to meet my nephew. You'll forgive me if I find it strange for another to be here in his stead so soon." A snort and raised brow. "Answer me that, and I'll speak with you on Valley behalf as long as you please, lass."

Nayru · 05-18-2011, 04:30 PM

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<333 309

The grizzled creature answered her, and while he seemed receptive the leader was not very warm. Yet his words explained whatever hesitance Nayru sensed. Conor had not coming calling here. Just as he had failed to go to Cercatori d'Arte, just as he had failed to return the tokens Anathema had sent him. Nayru was not surprised to find another pack had slipped his radar, and she merely took the information in stride. "Conor Soul has left Dahlia de Mai. As to why, I cannot say though I wish I could. I can't say because I don't know. When he left he was in a frenzy. Frantic. He wouldn't give me details, only that he didn’t wish to be like his father." Crimson eyes narrowed just a bit then, she had heard stories of Haku, but this man was his half brother. Did the genes that caused the madness of Haku run in Conor? And if so, had this man too inherited it?

That was not the issue at hand, Nayru knew better than most that family relationships only defined a being as much as one allowed it. "I was his gamma, and I was the only one who could step up to alpha. And so here I am." Was that enough of an explanation? Nayru peered at the man, slowly connecting the dots. Farore had closed the gap, disclosed that she and Conor were cousins of sorts, and so what was this man to her? Did it matter what they were, aside from leaders of neighboring packs? "I've come with gifts for Phoenix Valley, if you will accept them."

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Jefferson Soul · 05-19-2011, 03:52 PM

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"Only that he didn’t wish to be like his father." At this, Jefferson raised his head with piqued interest, naturally wondering what it was that had inspired such a reaction in his nephew. As Nayru admitted, she knew little more than he did, but even to Jefferson who knew so little of Conor, the brute had known the ex-alpha to be a benevolent and calm leader, much unlike his father. For him to show such signs so suddenly, and to hand off the pack to Nayru with little notice, struck the Patriarch as suspicious; was Conor following in his father's footsteps? If so, the cyclops made a note to keep the boy on his radar. The Valley man would certainly never allow another Haku into existence, family or not. "Well, Dahlia and the Valley have never been at odds," he sighed, shrugging. "If you need our help for things other than war, you're welcome to ask for it."

Nayru provided what answers she could, and for that the scarred man nodded gratefully. She offered gifts, at which the man gave her the strangest of looks — he'd never been offered such a thing on behalf of the pack, despite the man leading the Valley as Patriarch for over a couple years. "Uh," he raised a brow, ear twitching, "sure, I guess. I got nothing to give in exchange, as far as I know, but we might be able to scrounge up something." The Valley was so left to itself, the concept of "gifts" to neighboring packs was foreign to the man. Then again, he was never meant to be leader.

Nayru · 05-25-2011, 12:01 AM

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<333 345

The man’s words did not jar her, she simply shook her head and smiled as he spoke of war. " Dahlia de Mai has no interest in wars, past or future." Nayru knew that few would forget the Dahlian wars, but she would make it clear to all that they were truly over with. None who had fought in either remained in the flowered lands, and so why did they have to live with the shadows casts by demons of the past? Nayru said no more on it, letting the word die away the memories she wished would also roll over dead. Instead she turned her attention to the sack she carried with her, lifting from it the gifts she had brought for Phoenix Valley.

As with the other packs she pulled out a bottle of wine, one of the last that had been stashed away in the vineyards. Yet the grapes were growing and by mid-summer would be plump. Hopefully by then they would know how to harvest and make fresh wine from the fruits, so she had no qualms about handing the bottle away to the man. “I do not come seeking anything in return for these,” he spoke of finding something in return, but Nayru did not mind leaving empty handed, “I only wished to share some of Dahlia’s bounty with our neighbors,” with those words she pulled out the other gift, one that she had also given to Aniwaya. The pouch smelled richly of tobacco and other dried leaves, all of which she knew to be safe for inhalation. “I hope some members of the Valley has use for one or both of these.” Cherry eyes fell curiously on the man’s face as the bag of tobacco passed between them. “We grow this in Dahlia de Mai, I found it wild by our borders and now we are cultivating it.” Nayru was proud of it, even if there was no use for the stuff within the Valley borders, and her voice did not waver as she spoke to the grizzled man.

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Jefferson Soul · 06-04-2011, 03:26 PM

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"Good." That was all the cyclops had to say on the matter of war and friction between packs: the less tension, the better. If Nayru had already committed herself to leading Dahlia in the ways of peace and neutrality, then she was not following in Haku's footsteps and Jefferson had nothing to complain about. Perhaps with her leadership, Dahlia de Mai would finally find the respite it deserved.

From her satchel she pulled the gifts and presented them one-by-one: Homemade wine from Dahlia's own vineyards, and a bag of some sort of tobacco grown by the leader herself. He raised his eyebrows in mild surprise and interest, one-eyed gaze shifting between bottle and pouch, impressed by the generosity and uniqueness alike of the selfless gifts. "Impressive," he smirked, raising the pouch and took a whiff of it, only to snort his nose and twitch a tattered ear sourly. "I'm sure they'll be of use, one way or another. You're kind to bring them; thank you."

A smile met his scarred features, lightening them even if briefly from their typical demented state. "Even if you want nothing in return, I'll take a look around, see what we can spare." A shrug. "I'm not the sentimental type, but fuck, we got some nice flowers here you could pick." Women liked flowers. Of course they did.

Nayru · 06-05-2011, 08:02 PM

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The way Jefferson appraised her gifts reminded her of all the representational fathers she had ever had ever imagined she had. Lilac eyes and memories of a different warrior flashed before her, and even the face of a man who loathed the very pack she was so dedicated to came to her then. They all had age on her, and experience, and certain skills and yet all had seen merit in the young girl. Wisdom and patience that shouldn't have been accumulated for years, an unfailing loyalty. The only father Jefferson did not remind her of was her own biological one. If anyone reminded her of the two toned sperm donor, it was Razekiel. And the memory of that man was more of a brother or that strange cousin one runs into occasionally.

And then the man pushed to return the kindness, and Nayru knew it was wisest to allow others to give when they wished to give. None of the packs had turned down her tokens thus far and for that she was grateful. "Flowers would be nice." This was agreeable, and then she paused a moment. "Could we dig them up?" What use besides a short term décor would stems and blossoms be? If she brought them back live she could transplant them into her green house. Grow them. Yes. That seemed like a very kind gift indeed if she could find an interesting plant or two.

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